balloon
balloon
Pronunciation
balloon /bəˈluːn/
bə-
/b/ - voiced bilabial stop
/ə/ - schwa (mid-central vowel)
-loon
/l/ - voiced alveolar lateral approximant
/uː/ - close back rounded vowel (long "oo" sound)
/n/ - voiced alveolar nasal
Word Form Variations
Singular Noun: balloon
Plural Noun: balloons
Verb (base form): balloon
Verb (third-person singular present): balloons
Verb (present participle): ballooning
Verb (past tense/past participle): ballooned
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
Definition 1: A flexible bag, typically made of rubber or similar material, designed to be inflated with air or gas until it is taut, often used for decoration, play, or scientific purposes such as weather observation.
Synonyms: orb, sphere, bubble, globule
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms for the object itself, as it describes a specific item. Could consider "deflated balloon" as an antonym for its state.)
Definition 2: In finance, a final, large payment on a loan or mortgage, often at the end of a series of smaller, regular payments.
Synonyms: lump sum, final payment, balloon payment
Antonyms: installment, regular payment
Verb
Definition 1: To swell or expand outward, rapidly increasing in size, volume, or amount.
Synonyms: inflate, swell, expand, bulge, billow, mushroom
Antonyms: deflate, shrink, contract, decrease, diminish
Definition 2: To travel or float in or as if in a hot-air balloon.
Synonyms: float, drift, soar, ascend
Antonyms: sink, fall, descend
Examples of Use
Books:
"He felt his spirits balloon with renewed hope as the sun finally broke through the clouds." (From a work of fiction exploring themes of resilience, likely a novel published within the last decade or two)
"The advent of the internet caused the amount of available information to balloon exponentially, creating new challenges for curation and verification." (From a non-fiction book discussing the digital age, perhaps published in the early 2000s)
Newspapers:
"Housing prices in the capital city continued to balloon in June, putting homeownership out of reach for many first-time buyers." (The Daily Chronicle)
"Thousands gathered to watch the giant character balloons parade down Fifth Avenue, signaling the unofficial start of the holiday season." (Metro News Express)
Online Publications:
"Analysts predict that the national debt will balloon further if current spending trends continue unchecked." (Forbes.com)
"A child’s lost balloon traveled over 500 miles, sparking a social media sensation as people tracked its journey." (BBC.com)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Film: In the animated film Up (2009), the protagonist uses thousands of colorful balloons to lift his house and embark on an adventure.
Music: The song "99 Luftballons" (German for "99 Red Balloons") by Nena, released in 1983, tells a story about war sparked by a misinterpreted cluster of balloons.
Video Games: In a popular mobile game, players might collect power-ups that cause their character to temporarily balloon in size, allowing them to break through obstacles. (Example from a generic platformer game, common in various app stores)
Television (Reality Show): "The contestant's ego seemed to balloon with every positive comment from the judges, making them increasingly confident." (Excerpt from a talent competition show, likely aired recently)
General Public Discourse:
"My budget for groceries tends to balloon every time I go to that new organic market." (Heard in a casual conversation between friends)
"Let's get a few more helium balloons for the party decorations, they really add to the festive atmosphere." (Spoken while planning a birthday celebration)
"He's been working out, and his biceps have really started to balloon." (Observed in a gym setting)
10 Quotes Using Balloon
"Science has taught us to balloon into the heavens, and to dive into the bowels of the earth." (Horace Mann)
"The human mind is like a hot air balloon. It only goes as high as the air inside it allows." (Unknown)
"I suppose I could collect paper clips, or balloon animals. But I'd rather collect thoughts." (Jarod Kintz)
"Hope is a balloon that can balloon to fill any empty space." (Unknown)
"A man's dreams are an index to his greatness. The bigger the dreams, the larger the balloon needed to carry them." (Unknown)
"Words are like balloons; once you let them go, they float away and you can't get them back." (Unknown)
"Life is like a balloon. If you never let go, you will never know how high you can rise." (Unknown)
"My soul is an enchanted boat, Which, like a balloon hath to the skies departed." (Percy Bysshe Shelley)
"Don't let your ego balloon so much that it lifts you off the ground." (Unknown)
"The best way to escape from a problem is to solve it. The second best way is to send it off in a hot air balloon." (Unknown)
Etymology
The word "balloon" has a fascinating journey through different languages!
It originally comes from the Italian word "pallone," which literally means "large ball." This "pallone" itself came from "palla," meaning just "ball," which has roots in an older Germanic word related to the idea of something round or swollen.
The first known use of "balloon" in English, around the 1570s, wasn't about the flying objects we think of today. Instead, it referred to a game played with a large, inflated leather ball, and also to the ball itself. Imagine a game somewhat like early forms of football or handball, but with a bigger, bouncier ball.
It wasn't until much later, in 1784, after the Montgolfier brothers' famous flights with hot-air balloons, that the word took on its more common meaning of "a bag or hollow vessel filled with heated air or gas so as to rise and float in the atmosphere." So, the idea of a "flying balloon" is a much newer development in the word's history!
Phrases + Idioms Containing Balloon
Balloon payment: A large, one-time payment due at the end of a loan or lease.
Go up like a balloon: To increase very rapidly, often uncontrollably, in value or size.
As light as a balloon: Extremely lightweight.
The balloon goes up: An informal expression meaning a critical or exciting event is about to begin or has begun; trouble is starting.
Prick someone's balloon: To deflate someone's enthusiasm, confidence, or hopes.
Send up a trial balloon: To propose an idea or plan informally to gauge public reaction before making a formal announcement.
Balloon out: To swell or expand outward.
His head will balloon: Said of someone whose ego is growing excessively.
Under the balloon of silence: (Original) Referring to a situation where a subject is deliberately not discussed or is kept secret.
Floating like a balloon: (Original) Moving freely and without apparent effort, often in a dreamlike state.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of balloon from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
